General Notes

Henry II of France, b. Mar. 31, 1519, d. July 10, 1559, initiated a period of
monarchical weakness in his country's history. He succeeded his father,
Francis I, in 1547. Henry had married (1533) Catherine de Medicis, but he was
dominated by his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. His court became a center of
rivalry between the families of Montmorency and Guise, and his administration,
which expanded the practice of selling government offices, brought the crown
to bankruptcy.

Although he persecuted the Huguenots (Protestants) in France, Henry allied
himself with the German Lutheran princes and occupied part of Lorraine in
1552. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V counterattacked, but failed to dislodge
Francois, duc de Guise, from Metz. Subsequently, a French army under Anne de
Montmorency was disastrously defeated by the Spanish at Saint-Quentin (1557),
though national pride was somewhat restored by Guise's capture of Calais from
the English (1558). In April 1559 a peace treaty was signed with Spain at
Cateau-Cambresis. During the celebrations the king was accidentally wounded in
a joust, and he died soon after. Henry was succeeded in turn by three of his
sons: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III.